Battlestar Galactica: "Hub" (Episode 409)

Not a morning person.

This week we jump backwards in time and find out what happened to Roslin and company from the moment that the hybrid jumped them away from the Colonial fleet. I wonder if maybe this episode shouldn't have been first or perhaps I'm still just smarting from the choppy nature of last week's episode.

We begin with what we've actually already seen before, with Roslin approaching the hybrid and instructing one of the Sharon's to plug her back in. The moment that the hybrid comes back online, she jumps the baseship away. In between the flash away and the reappearance in regular space, Roslin has a vision. Perhaps there is something between life and death? She sees Elosia, the long dead religious leader that she turned to in times of need when she first began to see visions.

"Remember me?"Almost instantly though, Roslin returns with the rest of the baseship to regular space. Neither man nor Cylon knows why they jumped and instantly they jump again. Roslin is back in the space inbetween and walks the corridors of an empty Galactica with Elosia until she comes upon a dying woman: herself.

39,673 survivors.

The baseship returns to regular space and they all try to understand why the hybrid is jumping. Baltar plays the egomaniac and tries to get information from the hybrid, but actually is able to get the hybrid to speak directly to them and they discover that the Six named Natalie has been injured or killed on Galactica. The hybrid is panicking as a result. The Sharon explains to them that they can't really make the hybrid do anything, that she makes her own decision and in fact she is now controlling the life support as well and they can't take her offline again. Baltar tries to talk to her like a retarded child. He thinks it worked, but she jumps again nonetheless.

In the space inbetween, Roslin watches herself surrounded by the people closest to her, but she doesn't love them. Elosia makes the point that she has lost all compassion and that she simply does not love people any more.

In regular space, the Sharon tells the group that she's pretty sure that the hybrid is jumping after the hub, but they don't know when they might be able to catch up with it. Helo knows that they won't be able to get close to the hub, let alone attack it with the heat signatures that the Vipers will be throwing off. He discusses it with the Sharon and between the two of them they figure out how to go in cold, with the Vipers being towed by Heavy Raiders. The Sharon sees that he's stressed out and begins to massage his neck, which is already odd, but it makes Helo jump because its something that Athena learned to do. It wasn't part of the programming. The Sharon reveals that she downloaded Athena's memories. She's a pseudo-Athena right there on the ship with them. Perhaps that will help? Ya think?

Helo stops by to see Roslin, who reveals to him that she intends to take any risky chance to destroy the hub that they can possibly get and that she intends to go against the plan made with the Cylons and wants to interrogate the D'Anna alone to find out the identity of the final five. Helo begrudgingly agrees.

Meanwhile, at the hub, D'Anna is back. The Ones, Fours and Fives have gotten to her first in an attempt to bring her to their side in the civil war. D'Anna is not happy.

Only two models are pilots... not enough money for guest casting.On the baseship, the Sharon and Helo brief the pilots, both human and Cylon alike, and needless to say there is quite a bit of conflict over the plan and that the humans have to trust the Cylon pilots with their lives. They'll be towed in behind the Heavy Raiders and then will have to rely on the Cylons to cut the cable at the appropriate time. After that, the plan is to take out the FTL to strand the hub in place until the baseship can get in with their nukes. It's only inspirational words from NotAthena that gets everyone working in the same direction. She also reminds them that after the hub is gone, they're all completely equals and each of their lives are in the other hands.

Elsewhere, Roslin and Baltar try unsuccessfully to discuss the Opera House vision with the hybrid. The hybrid does tell them however that the Three is online again. And with that, another jump. And another vision. Roslin is tired of looking at herself and continues to walk the empty Galactica. Elosia discusses Roslin's sins with her and she deflects, thinking that Baltar is far worse than she. And despite wanting to leave her vision of herself behind, she comes upon Adama reading to her from Searider Falcon.

Baltar, meanwhile, somewhat comedically starts to preach to a Centurion. Elsewhere, Helo tries to appeal to Roslin that they really shouldn't be dishonest with the Cylons and how she intends to deal with D'Anna. Roslin's only real defense is that the Cylons would do the same. Helo doesn't agree. But without warning, they've found the hub.

On the hub, Cavill continues to try to convince D'Anna that she must help to end the civil war. D'Anna however is more concerned that he doesn't care about the identities of the final five, but he still believes that they aren't meant to know them. The original Boomer informs them that the rebel baseship has jumped in and that Heavy Raiders are headed their way. Outside, we see that I sense dogfights beginning soon...the plan went off flawlessly and the Cylons towed the Vipers into the hub. Inside they realize that the hub is about to be destroyed. Cavill appeals to D'Anna, but the idea of permanent death pleases her to the point where she reaches up and chokes Cavill, smashing his head and killing him.

The Vipers make their way into the hub and blow the FTL. Helo and NotAthena get onto the hub in search of D'Anna. Baltar meanwhile continues to preach to the Centurion. Huge dogfights, things blow up real good. Helo and Not Athena make their way in and grab the only D'Anna in existence. Outside, Pike is freaking out and we see how his death occurs, last week leading Galactica to find the remnants of the battle. The one baseship fires on the other, blasting Baltar and the Centurion. The Cylon is totaled and Baltar is injured more than a little himself, perhaps mortally wounded in his side. Roslin finds him and lies him down, bandaging him the best she can. The morpho takes effect very quickly and Baltar starts to ramble, telling Roslin that she's pretty. He tells Laura that she needs God and that the fact that its only through God that he can deal with his guilt. She asks him what he's guilty about and he confirms once and for all what she recalled seeing, that Baltar was cavorting with a Six and that he accidentally gave the access codes to the Cylons and wiped out humanity. Laura, in her steely disposition these days, reaches over through all of Baltar's religious ramblings and pulls off the dressing, consciously deciding to kill this man, allowing him to bleed out and ridding humanity of him once and for all. In the most creepy way, Baltar in his weakened state, simply lies there and begs her, please, please don't do this to me.

I hope they at least kept spare parts elsewhere...Helo and company get D'Anna clear of the hub and the Vipers fire their nuclear payloads and destroy the hub once and for all. Every Cylon begins to die, but finally they are all on the same level and they can begin to trust each other. Roslin has one more vision and Elosia tells her that she can't choose who lives and who dies, not even if they are as bad as Baltar. She has to love someone, she has to love her fellow man. And with that, the sick Roslin in the vision, passes on and Adama weeps over her. I can't help but Is this also some future episode?wonder if Roslin, and we, are seeing the actual death of Roslin to come before the end of the series. In a flash, Roslin is back in normal space and panics over the idea that Baltar might be dead. She desperately works to save him, pleading with him not to die.

Elsewhere on the ship, Helo drops on NotAthena that regardless of how he feels, he has to take D'Anna directly to Roslin. D'Anna delights in the whole thing. NotAthena is hurt on an even deeper level. When Helo and D'Anna find Roslin, she's lying prone next to Baltar, and D'Anna tends to her one time lover. Roslin instructs Helo to wait outside and she begins to question D'Anna. She wants to know about the final five and their identities. D'Anna drops the bomb that Roslin is one of the final five. Cue dramatic musical sting. Only its broken by D'Anna snickering to herself. Oh, having her back is going to be fun. She tells Roslin that she's not going to give her any names until she's safe and that information is all she's got. She's not trusting anyone, human or Cylon.

Later, Roslin continues to listen to the ramblings of the hybrid and in her last vision, she pokes Elosia for leading her to believe that saving Baltar would save humanity. She wants to get home and maybe there's something there for her. Elosia hints that maybe there is something even closer. And out in space, Adama floats aimlessly and is startled by the flash of a baseship jumping in. His biggest gamble of all time has paid off. Moments later, he descends from the the Raptor and tells Laura, “Missed you.” They embrace and she tells him that she loves him. “About time,” he responds.

NEXT WEEK: Looks like the secret four aren't going to stay secret much longer.